Community Mainstreaming Newsletter – April 2019

Community Mainstreaming Live at the Landmark

Thank you to everyone who came to see Community Mainstreaming’s band, The Main Attractions, perform on March 24th at the Landmark on Main Street in Port Washington. The music was lively, and attendees had a wonderful experience getting to know our work. Our performers were thrilled to have a supportive audience of family and community members. Representatives from NYS Senator Kaplan and NYS Senator Gaughran’s offices were in attendance. Thank you to our Board members who came: Johnathan Lerner, Nancy Comer, Janet Shaw, Joe DiMaggio, and Eve Koopersmith.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:

Staff Spotlight

“I love giving people the tools they need to overcome a challenge.”

Ryan Aloe

Ryan Aloe has been an Employment Specialist with Community Mainstreaming since 2014. He works directly with participants of our supportive employment program. He excels at assessing the issues at a work site which interfere with vocational success and developing effective ways of addressing these concerns and provides ongoing support. One of the keys to Ryan’s success is his strong communication with the person he is supporting as well as the wider treatment team. Ryan goes above and beyond to meet the needs of his work, including picking up extra shifts and changing his schedule last minute. He is committed to bringing positive outcomes to the people he works with. His approachable personality helps others connect to him easily, and recently he has begun to add job development to his repertoire leading to several successful placements for our job seekers. Ryan has a degree from Towson University. He loves road cycling and spending time with family and friends. Community Mainstreaming thank Ryan for his hard work and dedication!

Success Stories

The Move to Our Beautiful Dix Hills Home

For years, New York State ran a number of homes for people with developmental disabilities along one street in Melville. Two years ago, Community Mainstreaming took over operation of the home. At our core, our mission is to integrate people with developmental disabilities to the natural supports of their community and to ensure they are connected to friends and family. Over the past two years, we have worked to make appropriate changes to the services so that the people in this home felt less isolated and limited. We recently found a new home for the residents in Dix Hills, and in April, the move was completed. The housemates are adjusting very well to their new home!

The youngest resident of this home has made incredible strides in the two years she has been with us. She came to us with very limited communication and coping skills which caused a history of maladaptive behavior. For two years, with patience and love, our staff have worked intensely with her to communicate effectively and reduce her target behaviors. As a result, she is now much more emotionally regulated and has better control of her impulses. Slowly but surely, communication skills, such as gestures, nods and pointing are beginning to emerge. She is even beginning to use sign language to express her needs. These skills have brought out a new brighter and healthier side of her. We are so proud of her and cannot wait to see what she will do next!

(Person from the story is not pictured.)

Julia's Cookies

April 30th Is the Last Day to Purchase Cookies!

Thank you to everyone who has bought Julia’s Cookies for Autism. We are so grateful to Julia Maidman and her mother Arlene Maidman for including us in this wonderful project. We also want to thank Jeff Pinsky and team at ePromos for donating the beautiful box, and arranging for the website and shipping! Thank you to partners NEXT for AUTISM and Midnite Snax!

Julia Maidman, a 20-year old with autism and a passion for baking has teamed with COFFEED to produce and sell thousands of chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies to bring hope to families and people of all ages who are living with autism. Part of the proceeds support Community Mainstreaming. Baking us happy has been Julia’s passion since she took her first cooking class three years ago. Each Sunday for the past six months, COFFEED’s Co-founder Abe King picks up Julia and other young cooks from their homes and drives them to COFFEED’s busy industrial kitchen in Long Island City, Queens. Julia works alongside others using her newfound culinary skills to bake hundreds of delicious chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies for store patrons who eagerly buy them up. Julia has been fortunate to benefit from a wide network that goes far beyond her mother, family and friends who have advocated for her, notes her mother Arlene Maidman, “but not all young people with autism can say that.” Julia has been excited to give back and help others with autism!

Help Support Our Annual Golf Outing on May 6 & May 13!

Thank You

Thank you TD Bank Charitable Foundation for Your Grant!

Improv Workhop!

on June 19th, 2019

You are invited to join CMA’s day habilitation without walls group for an improv workshop facilitated by Lien! Learn how to express yourself, think on your feet and most of all, have fun! You must RSVP to Heather Deutsch, CMA Director of Day Services, 516-683-0710 ext 233 or hdeutsch@communitymainstreaming.org.

We're Hiring!

Bring your passion to an organization that’s more like a family.

We are currently hiring Direct Support Professionals, Community Habilitation Specialists, and Assistant Residential Manager. Click here to apply!

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